On Monday, Chhavi (name changed), 20, stopped outside a Delhi metro station on his way to what would become one of the largest anti-government demonstrations against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government in the Indian capital in recent years. She balanced her phone against a railing, stepped back and filmed a quick “fit check” — a
Those frustrations are at the heart of the rise of the Cockroach Janta Party, or CJP, founded by Dipke. Although the Chief Justice later withdrew the comment, Dipke accepted the label, making the cockroach the symbol of the movement. Monday’s turnout reflected how quickly the movement has grown since its first protest in June, when